PRE-SEASON FRIENDLY
Saturday July 21, 3pm
Sixfields

NORTHAMPTON TOWN 1
Andy KIRK 74 pen

COVENTRY CITY 1
Leon BEST 21

Attendance: 2,576 (1,097 away fans)

Cobblers:  Mark BUNN, Jason CROWE, Danny JACKMAN, Bradley JOHNSON, Mark HUGHES, Liam DOLMAN, Ian HENDERSON, Joe BURNELL, Colin LARKIN, Andy KIRK, Andy HOLT
Substitutes: Sam AISTON, Chris DUNN, Ryan GILLIGAN, Danny MAY, James QUINN, Alex DYER, Joe HOWE

Coventry: Demitiros KONSTANTOPOULOS, David McNAMEE, Gary BORROWDALE, Robert PAGE, Elliott WARD, Chris BIRCHALL, Stephen HUGHES, Kevin THORNTON, Julian GRAY, Kevin KYLE, Leon BEST
Substitutes: Lee HILDRETH, Colin HAWKINS, Marcus HALL, Stuart GIDDINGS, Ellery CAIRO, Michael DOYLE, Michael MIFSUD, Robbie SIMPSON, Liam DAVIS, Andy MARSHALL

Referee: Mr D Whitestone

Booked:
Cobblers: none
Coventry: none

Sent off:
Cobblers: none
Coventry: Elliot WARD 

Northampton Town welcomed Coventry City to Sixfields for their first home pre-season friendly.

Despite heavy rain in the 36 hours before the game, the pitch was in perfect condition. Chris Birchall had the first shot of the afternoon, but his 3^rd minute free kick from twenty five yards curled harmlessly over Mark Bunn's cross bar.

2 minutes later Mark Hughes got in a brave block to deny Kevin Kyle from close range. The Scottish striker met the resulting Birchall corner with a powerful header, only for a combination of Mark Bunn and Danny Jackman to block the ball on the line.

Ian Henderson was forced to leave the field with a head wound on 8 minutes having been caught by a high boot from Julian Gray. Sam Aiston was his replacement.

The Cobblers almost had the lead on 10 minutes. Andy Holt won the ball back twenty five yards from goal and found Colin Larkin. He released Andy Kirk with a neat reverse pass but the Cobblers striker was foiled by a fine block by on rushing keeper Demitrios Konstantopoulos.

Mark Hughes headed a Danny Jackman corner just over the bar on 16 minutes, while Konstantopoulos saved a shot from Sam Aiston moments later.

Hughes was in blocking action for the second time on 20 minutes, sending a header from Kevin Kyle behind for a corner. The Sky Blues had the lead from that flag kick, with Leon Best volleying home Chris Birchall's corner.

Julian Gray forced a diving save out of Bunn on 28 minutes, while moments later the Cobblers keeper made another good stop, pushing away Kyle's header from a Birchall cross.

Colin Larkin fired a shot on the turn over the bar nine minutes before the break after patient build up work from Holt and Jackman, while shortly afterwards a fizzing Bradley Johnson free kick from around twenty five yards just grazed the cross bar.

One of a host of substitutes to enter the field came close to a goal on 65 minutes, but Michael Mifsud's shot hit the post and bounced back into play.

Both sides continued to make changes, before a moment of pre-season drama on 71 minutes. Keeper Konstantopoulos and Elliott Ward got into a muddle on the edge of the Coventry area and Cobblers trialist Joe Howe picked up the loose ball twenty five yards from goal. With the keeper stranded, Howe sent in a shot that was handled on the line by the recovering Ward, stopping a certain goal. He was sent off for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity as Andy Kirk scored from the spot.

An enjoyable pre-season game that always had an edge to it therefore ended level, meaning the Cobblers maintained their unbeaten pre-season build up.

COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (4) 8
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (3) 6
CORNERS: (2) 3
FOULS: (9) 15
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (0) 0

COVENTRY MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (6) 9
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (4) 4
CORNERS: (4) 6
FOULS: (5) 17
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (3) 6